A64834:55
Sin, the Plague of Plagues
Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins trial and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins tryal and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...
London: printed for John Hancock, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
SIN, THE PLAGUE of PLAGUES; OR Sinful Sin the worst of Evils. › Of sins contrariety to God.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
6. 6Sin is contrary to the people and children of God: 'Tis true, sin cannot hate them so much as God loves them, nor do them so much hurt as God can do them good; yet out of spite and envy 'twill do its worst, and hate them because God loves them: Gods Children are his Darlings and Favourites, dear to him as the apple of his eye; in all their afflictions he bears a part, and is afflicted, and looks upon it as if he himself were treated as they are in this world, Acts 9.4, 5. Mat. 25.41.-45. Now the nearer and dearer they are to God, the more Gods heart is set upon then for good, the more sin sets its heart against them for evil: Sin is always warring against ⟨p. 16⟩the Seed of God in them, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, Gal. 5.17. and warreth against their souls, 1 Pet. 2.11. So that by sins ill-will Gods people should neither enjoy nor do any good in this world; 'tis always provoking the Serpentine Race to make war upon, to imprison and persecute (even to destruction) the little Flock and Remnant of the holy Seed; it will not (further then rebuked by grace) let them have one quiet day, it disturbs and interrupts them, that they cannot attend upon God without destruction; when they would do good, a evil is present with them, either to keep it undone, or to make it ill done; it endeavours to spoil all they take in hand, and to turn their holy things into iniquity, by reason whereof they cry out as greatly oppressed, wretches that we are! who shall deliver us from this body of death? Rom. 7. This evil and envious sin is bent also to hinder (all it can) the comfort, welfare, and happiness of the Saints: Sin, like the Devil, hath not such an evil eye or aching tooth at all the sinners of the world, as it hath at the Saints in the world: 'tis true the Devil is a man-hater, but more a Saint-hater; watch, for your Adversary the devil seeks whom (of you) he may devour, as S. Peter tells us,